Yesterday was one of those days when the hugeness of technology reverberated at me. First, as I sipped my morning coffee, gazing at Mars on the front page of the newspaper, I realized how much bigger the world had come by making Mars closer and somehow--more attainable. Later in the day, I underwent my annual eye exam, where the sting of dilation solution has been eliminated by
an incredible device called the Optomap Retinal Scanner . The technician gently taped my eyelash, then I pressed each retina against a screen until I saw a green flash of light. Almost instantly, there appears on my doctor's computer screen high-quality digital images of my retinae. Each eye is magnified or cropped as if in Photoshop. The image accelerates detection of some of the worst stuff: diabetic retinopathy, high blood pressure, ARDM, the leading cause of blindness in people over 55, and detached retina. I had none of these. There was, however a small dark spot very evident in my right eye. Further examination ensured it was nothing more than a freckle on my eyeball. These photos will be kept on file so that changes can be detected in future exams. My doctor, Karen Springer of Sunnyvale Optometrsts made clear that the insignificant dark spot would have been missed if it weren’t for the new retinal scan, making me aware of how much misery this new piece of technology is destined to eliminate. It's only in 600 offices so far, Dr. Springer says and inbsurance of course won't pay for it for a while, but over time I expect it will be as in common use as the eye chart.
The morning's photo made Mars look like harsh high desert badland. On the other hand, with it’s red vessels, mysterious dark spots and plethora of colors, my right retina, when blown up. looks very much like how I thought Mars would look close up.
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